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Mental illness and disorders among Mass Shooters

I made some of the examples very short (like Kip Kinkel), because I think most people will already know about this case. And I made some other examples very detailed (like that from Tim Kretschmer and Steven Kazmierczak) because some of the information was only available in Germany (Tim) or most people didnt given much attention to the case (Steven).

Kipland Kinkel: Was diagnosed with Depression previously of the shooting and was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in the aftermath of the shooting.

Michael Carneal: Was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in the aftermath of the shooting.

Andrew Wurst: Was diagnosed with Schizophrenia in the aftermath of the shooting.

Luke Woodham: A psychiatrist noted that Luke Woodham had a “psychotic processing and misinterpret reality”.

Tim Kretschmer: One year before the shooting, Tim showed his mother a Wikipedia-site about bipolar disorder and claimed to suffer from it. He got three meetings with a psychiatrist and told her, that he was suffering from heavy mood-swings, that he could not concentrate and that he had circular and racing thoughts about shooting people and how evil humanity is. The psychiatrist noted, that Tim made no eye-contact, seemed sometimes very nervous and emotional absent at the other moment. She suspected a psychotic episode or an atypical autism but concluded, that Tim “doesn’t appears as threat to other or himself”

Steven Kazmierczak: During High School, Steven made nine suicide attempts and was hospitalized. At psychiatric treatment he claimed to hear voices, that he could read other people’s thoughts and that he could see a former girlfriend of his. He was diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder, Schizoid Personality Traits and Psychosocial Stressors and was also found to abusing Cannabis. He was put on anti-depressive and anti-psychotic drugs and moved from one psychiatric hospital to another before he was released years later.

Jeffrey Weise: tried to commit suicide twice and was put on Prozac. It is unknown, if he took it at the time of the shooting.

Pekka-Eric Auvinen: Was put on Prozac for Panic Disorder and social anxiety. He stopped the medication a few months before the shooting.

Adam Lanza: Was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome and sensory integration disorder (which is not an official accepted disorder).

Anders Behring Breivik: During childhood, Breivik was described by a psychiatrist as having an “peculiar smile, suggesting it was not anchored in his emotions but was rather a deliberate response to his environment”.He was diagnosed two times during the trial: the first psychiatrist team diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia. This was contradicted by a second team, who claimed that Breivik is sane and only suffered from Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

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Martin Bryant, Killed 35, Port Arthur, Tasmania, Australia, 1996 As a child it is noted Bryant was severely bullied, disruptive and violent. When suspended from school a psychological assessment mentioned him torturing animals. Bryant attended a special education facility where his behavior deteriorated as he grew. He had possible mental retardation and autism. One psychiatrist wrote he could have schizophrenia. As an adult he had been assessed for a disability pension. He is now held in a secure mental health unit for inmates with severe mental health issues. Bryant has attempted suicide numerous times since his arrest. Wikipedia notes his motivation as: depression and anger.

Charles Whitman (The Texas Tower Sniper), Killed 17 (inc unborn child), Texas University, 1966Prior to the shootings he had visited several University doctors and later a psychiatrist. He was prescribed Valium by a doctor and had conveyed his feelings of violent impulses to a campus psychiatrist. (just a warning if anyone Wikipedia's this at all there's an unpleasant picture on the page)

Edward Charles Allaway, Killed 7, California State University, Fullerton, 1976Several different mental health professionals diagnosed him with paranoid schizophrenia. It is noted that he was considered to have a history of mental illness for which he had been previously hospitalized.

Joseph Thomas Wesbecker, Killed 8, Louisville, Kentucky, 1989Wesbecker had at least 3 separate stays in mental facilities. He was described as suffering from depression and manic depression. He was considered a threat to himself and others. Wesbecker was seeing a psychiatrist at the time of the shooting.

Heinz Jakob Friedrich Ernst Schmidt, Killed 4, St Marys Catholic School, Bremen, Germany, 1913 Prior to the shootings had left his place of employment due to a mental breakdown. He also had a stint in a sanatorium. He was diagnosed after the shootings as insane.

It's incredibly sad to note a huge number of mass shooters were either receiving some kind of professional help at the time of their shootings, had sought medical assistance or were on medication designed to help them. It's interesting to note as well how many appeared to know something was going on in their minds for which they needed help.

I believe I read somewhere that Charles Whitman had a brain tumor as well. And he actually tried to tell various doctors that he had a brain tumor, but it was only diagnosed posthumously. Or is this me making things up?

I have also read, that he had a brain tumor, but I never read that he told people about that. For my knowledge, He only told his psychiatrist, that he was afraid of his violent phantasies of shooting people.

Charles Whitman did have a tumor. It was said to have been pressing on the amygdalae region of the brain, which controls the fight or flight response. Scientist say it's possible that it made him lose control of his emotion and act out violently. If so, that's probably one of the most interesting causes for mass murder.

_________________"I'd rather die my way than live yours."- Lauren Oliver

Most people dispute that his tumor had anything to don with why he did what he did.The author of the one book on the case makes this argument saying that preparations he made before proves that he was sane and knew exactly what he was doing. But I disagree.This was a man who was violently losing his grip and didn't understand why.He knew something was wrong and he felt he was losing control over his actions.Even though he had a tumor people don't want to give any excuse to someone who did this.I don't think he would have done this without the tumor.

Charles Whitman did have a tumor. It was said to have been pressing on the amygdalae region of the brain, which controls the fight or flight response. Scientist say it's possible that it made him lose control of his emotion and act out violently. If so, that's probably one of the most interesting causes for mass murder.

Michael Robert Ryan, killed 17 including self, injured 15, Hungerford, England, United Kingdom, 1987After his death a Dr Higgins a consultant forensic psychiatrist concluded Ryan was more than likely suffering from acute schizophrenia and was psychotic. Press converge at the time suggested Ryan had an unhealthy relationship with his mother (one of the victims) who spoiled him.

Christian Dornier, killed 14, injured 8, Luxiol, France, 1989Found not guilty by reason of insanity and has been receiving treatment in a psychiatric hospital since 1991. Dornier was diagnosed as suffering from schizophrenia.

David Malcolm Gray, killed 14 including self, injured 4, Aramoana, New Zealand, 1990It is noted Gray's mental state deteriorated months before the attack. Those who knew him reported a decline in his mental health.

Interesting article 'The Fraudulent Diagnosis for Mass Murderers' [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

How many of the surviving mass shooters end up in the nut house? Not many, most go to the big house. Real mental illness(paranoid schizophrenia and manic depressive) rarely causes this type of violence.

What about Adam Lanza or the people that go back to their so called 'roots' and shoot em up? Is it a underlying psychological problem? Does that type of thing always develop or is it learned? Or have they just admired the school shooters so much and so long that they thought they were a part of them and understood them? Further more I believe no one could completely understand Eric&Dylan simply because so much is hidden yet you can kind of and I mean KIND OF get a grasp on what they where trying to accomplish. Yes, some of this post does not comply with the OP but I ask is this the order after 4/20/99? Many years have passed and we have seen the news lean away from 'Columbine' as "the" school shooting, yet more and more Mass Murderers are leaning towards Columbine or at least mentioning it. Cho felt a reasoning in his stomach with Eric and Dylan and he related to it in his situation. Ergo Video tapes/Manifesto and quick Natural Selection with a little side dish of WRATH and HATRED. I'm so confused with ALL of it, a thousand thoughts pass through my mind a day and I can't quite grasp a base source of information on any of it. This is my first post, sorry for grammar and spelling errors. Maybe Society does kill the teenager

I was just talking to a person who told me her son got kicked out of school for making a "kill list". He's now being homeschooled and is, according to her, now a perfectly happy teenager. Mentally ill or bullied to the breaking point?

What about female school shooters? Mental illness occurs frequently in females as well. It would seem that more teenage girls would plan these events.

I was just talking to a person who told me her son got kicked out of school for making a "kill list". He's now being homeschooled and is, according to her, now a perfectly happy teenager. Mentally ill or bullied to the breaking point?

What about female school shooters? Mental illness occurs frequently in females as well. It would seem that more teenage girls would plan these events.

Well, at first I will overthink my statement and re-formulate it: I think the bulk of mass-shooters are acting out of some kind of mental-illness or a severe personality disorder. (In some cases maybe even both)

In case of the child you talked about: making a death list is not the same like committing a mass-shooting. I may be a step to it, it may also just a way to express anger. I dont know this child, but I would not necessarily consider him a potential mass-shooter.If bullying causes mass-shootings, why then there severel mass-shooters, who clearly never suffered from it?

I never have said, that mental illnesses (or personality disorders) are the only reason why people do mass-shootings, but I suspect that it is an important factor in most cases.

Maybe we could count all mass-shooters who did not commit suicide and research how many of them were diagnosed with something and how many werent?

One L. Goh: Was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in the aftermath of the shooting.

Jiverly Wong: Told his father at one occasion, that people were going to kill him: He pointed in front of him and said, “They’re in frontof me and trying to capture me.” Concerned about his sons mental health, his father took him to a hospital, but because Jiverlys english skills were low, he could not speak with the professionals. He was released without treatment.In his suicide letter, Jiverly claimed that the police had monitored him, spread rumors about him and had broke into his house. Because there is no evidence, that he was ever the subject of a police investigation prior to the shooting, this claims appear very likely as a delusion. You can read his suicide note here: http://www.schoolshooters.info/PL/Subject-Wong_files/Wong%20note.pdf

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I was just talking to a person who told me her son got kicked out of school for making a "kill list". He's now being homeschooled and is, according to her, now a perfectly happy teenager. Mentally ill or bullied to the breaking point?

What about female school shooters? Mental illness occurs frequently in females as well. It would seem that more teenage girls would plan these events.

Well, at first I will overthink my statement and re-formulate it: I think the bulk of mass-shooters are acting out of some kind of mental-illness or a severe personality disorder. (In some cases maybe even both)

In case of the child you talked about: making a death list is not the same like committing a mass-shooting. I may be a step to it, it may also just a way to express anger. I dont know this child, but I would not necessarily consider him a potential mass-shooter.If bullying causes mass-shootings, why then there severel mass-shooters, who clearly never suffered from it?

I never have said, that mental illnesses (or personality disorders) are the only reason why people do mass-shootings, but I suspect that it is an important factor in most cases.

Maybe we could count all mass-shooters who did not commit suicide and research how many of them were diagnosed with something and how many werent?

I don't know the kid either, but based on the bullying the mother described THAT SHE WAS AWARE OF, I'm not sure I would blame him if he had taken the next step. And while he might be diagnosed with something after the fact, he currently hasn't been.

I agree that mental illness is definitely a factor in many mass shootings. Based on the list you've compiled, I think there's a great amount of evidence for it. I simply wonder why we don't see more females executing, or at the least plotting, these types of events. Is it because females are more likely to internalize feelings and turn them on themselves than to society as a whole? I really wonder.

Update for Anders Behring Breivik: He was not only diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia by one team of psychologist and following diagnosed with narcissistic-personality disorder by another team, but there was also a third psychologist who diagnosed him with Asperger Syndrome and Tourette.In contradiction to the first two diagnoses, who were not made public, you can watch the entire speech of this psychologist on youtube.

The subtitles are german, but you can adjust it, that youtube translates them to english:

Maybe we could count all mass-shooters who did not commit suicide and research how many of them were diagnosed with something and how many werent?

Perhaps this could be an idea for another thread which is the opposite of this one? Mass shooters who were not diagnosed with a mental illness or any kind of disorder. I know this will be difficult in the case of mass shooters who committed suicide and were not diagnosed with anything beforehand as you mention. But it would be interesting to have a list of living mass shooters who were never officially diagnosed with anything pre or post shooting despite what some of their behaviors may indicate or what others have said about them.

Maybe we could count all mass-shooters who did not commit suicide and research how many of them were diagnosed with something and how many werent?

Perhaps this could be an idea for another thread which is the opposite of this one? Mass shooters who were not diagnosed with a mental illness or any kind of disorder. I know this will be difficult in the case of mass shooters who committed suicide and were not diagnosed with anything beforehand as you mention. But it would be interesting to have a list of living mass shooters who were never officially diagnosed with anything pre or post shooting despite what some of their behaviors may indicate or what others have said about them.